





























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Class _ 

Book __ 

Copyright N° 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 































; A 




























4 




















. ' 

































































✓ 








“ ‘ HARK, HARK, DEY ’S A-SINGIN ’ ! ’ '* 




































































































































































































A NEW YEAR’S CALL 


AUTHOR OF 
OU 


BY 

NORA PERRY 

/; 

“a rosebud garden of girls,” “a flock of 

ILS AND BOYS,” “ HOPE BE.NHAM,” ETC. 


Illustvateti 



BOSTON 

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 


the library of 

CONGRESS, 

Two Copie* Received 

JUL 21 1903 


Q Copyright Entry 

piM, 2,1-1 *f o o 

CUSS ^ XXO. No. 

(, \Jr $ <=> 0 




F2y 

.P 43 st 

.NjC 


Copyright, 1S90, 

By Nora Perry. 


Copyright, 190}, 

By Little, Brown, and Company. 



• • © ® t 

< « 0 <• © 

« cc < ® c e « C e < 


# ♦ c € « ( tf c 

( ( ( * 

tU C 

* e * * 

* c © t * <■ 


(•( , « c 




^rttVjrrgitu ^rcss 

John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U. S. A. 








A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 



CHAPTER I 

7 

OW yon just wait; they’ll 
come along in a minute or 
two. Yes, yes; there they 
are! Look! see!” and 
Theodora Patterson pulled 
her sister back to the win¬ 
dow with a close little 
clutch upon the pretty, 
long, trailing tea-gown, — a clutch that some 
young ladies would have resented very much. 
But Eleanor Patterson was a pleasant-tempered 
young lady, and was besides very fond of her 
little lame sister; so, with only a mild, remon¬ 
strating “Don’t, dear! ” she gently loosened the 
hand that pulled her gown awry, and looked 
out upon the street at the two children who 
were passing slowly by. 

“Are n’t they sweet, Eleanor? ” asked Theo¬ 
dora, enthusiastically. 


1 






2 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


“They seem to be nice children,” replied 
Eleanor. 

“Nice! Oh, Eleanor! ” 

Eleanor laughed. She was used to Theo’s 
enthusiasms. Indeed, the whole family were, 
and they often laughed at the way in which 
Theo would “go on ” over what seemed to them 
not at all interesting. For several weeks now 
she had watched the two children she had 
pointed out to her sister, walking slowly past 
the house every day in the neighborhood of 
three o’clock. At first her attention had been 
directed to the younger of the two, — a rosy, 
sturdy little fellow in a navy-blue coat, With a 
big funny fur collar and cap. But when she 
looked up from the rosy face, she saw another 
face that pleased her quite as much. It pleased 
her more and more as she saw it day after da}'; 
and when presently the bright dark eyes caught 
her glance and returned it, and a pair of sweet 
red lips smiled upon her, she felt as if she 
had indeed made a very desirable acquaintance. 
Grown-up Eleanor, however, saw this exchange 
of glances and smiles between the two girls, and 
thought to herself, — 

“Well, this is going rather too far. It’s all 
very well for poor little Theo to amuse herself 



A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


3 


by watching people pass by; but it won’t do 
for her to get familiar with them like this, for 
there’s no knowing where she ’ll stop. She’s 
such a soft-hearted little thing, she never sees 
the difference in people; all her geese are swans.” 

Something of this Eleanor tried to convey to 
Theo. Theo, however, did not seem to under¬ 
stand. In fact, she was so taken up with her 
new acquaintances that she scarcely heard Elea¬ 
nor’s hints and suggestions. Eleanor saw that 
she did not, and concluded to lay the case 
before her mother. 

“ But the child is always amusing herself like 
that,” said Mrs. Patterson, after she had heard 
the story. 

“Yes, she is always watching the people in 
the street, and weaving little romances about 
them; but she usually changes from one to 
another. This has been going on for weeks, — 
this particular fancy, — and it has progressed 
into quite a familiar acquaintanceship; and when 
she is wheeled out in her carriage she is likely 
to meet the children and make further acquaint¬ 
ance with them; and we don’t know anything 
about them or whose children they are.” 

“No; that is true. What sort of children do 
they seem to be?” asked Mrs. Patterson. 



4 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


“ They are nice enough in one way, . but I 
don’t think they are children she would be 
likely to meet.” 

“Yes; I see. But — but Theo’s life is so 
different from that of most children.” 

“Yes; but she is growing stronger, and will 
take her place by and by, perhaps, with other 
young girls of her—class.” Eleanor was going 
to say “set.” She changed it to “class,” be¬ 
cause “set” sounded narrow and snobbish, and 
Eleanor did not want to be either narrow or 
snobbish. 

A few minutes before three o’clock the next 
afternoon, Mrs. Patterson, going into the front 
drawing-room, saw Theo sitting in a big chair, 
close up to the window, watching and waiting. 
She heard her mother’s step, and turned to her 
with a smile, exclaiming eagerly, — 

“Oh, Mamma, you ’re just in time! ” 

“In time for what, dear?” 

“To see my new friends. Eleanor saw them 
yesterday. Did she tell you? Such a dear, 
bright-looking girl, and such a cunning little 
brother! And I think, Mamma, that the nurse- 
girl is sick or gone away, for every day the 
sister herself takes her little brother to walk; 
there is never any nurse-girl with them.” 




“‘oh, mamma, you’re just in time!’” 











































































































































































































A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


5 


“Perhaps she is the nurse-maid, and not, as 
you think, the child’s sister.” 

“What! viy girl? Oh, Mamma, when you 
see her — But there she is now. Look! 
look!” 

And Mamma looked, and saw a slim, grow¬ 
ing-up girl about the age of her Theo, but, 
unlike Theo, straight and strong and ruddy 
with health. She was comfortably yet rather 
oddly dressed in a dark green suit, with a little 
red cloth cap on her head. She was answering 
some question of the child’s at the moment 
Mrs. Patterson observed her, but her eyes were 
turned expectantly to the window; and the 
instant she caught sight of Theo, there came 
a smile and nod, to which Theo delightedly 
responded. The child, too, glanced up just 
then, and showed all his pretty baby teeth as he 
bobbed his curly head up and down. 

“Oh, Mamma, aren’t they dears? and oh! 
oh! mayn’t I open the window and ask them 
to come in? Oh, Mamma, you do it for me. 
Quick! quick! for I don’t know their names, 
and we can’t call after them.” 

“ My dear child — ” 

“Oh, Mamma, hurry! they’re going out of 
sight.” 



6 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


“Theo, dear, we don’t know them at all; 
they are strangers. What would they think? ” 
This last question seemed the best argument, 
Mrs. Patterson thought, to reconcile Theo to 
not carrying out her proposition. 

“ Oh, Mamma, they would think just as T do, 
— that we’ve got over being strangers, and are 
ready to be friends.” 

“ But, my dear, it would n’t be proper. Peo¬ 
ple don’t rush forward like that without know¬ 
ing anything about each other.” 

The tears came into Theo’s eyes. She turned 
a straining, wistful gaze down the street where 
her unknown acquaintances were slowly disap¬ 
pearing from her view. 

“ I am so sorry, dearie, to disappoint you; 
but I really could n’t allow you to make 
acquaintances like that. We have to know 
something about people before we invite them 
to visit us.” 

Mrs. Patterson, as she spoke, put her arm 
around Theo, and drew her gently toward her. 
Theo made no reply to her mother’s words, 
and offered no remonstrance; but after a few 
minutes she asked, “ Mamma, do you remember 
one day last winter when you took me to the 
matinee to see ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’?” 




A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


7 


“Yes, my dear, I remember it very well,” 
replied Mrs. Patterson. 

“Well, and do you remember the children 
that sat in front of us, — two girls, — one of my 
age and one younger? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ And do you remember that you — you took 
a fancy to those children, just as I have to 
these, and when we went out, and it rained, 
you asked them to come with us in the car¬ 
riage, and the maid that was with them thanked 
you, and said that their carriage was to be sent, 
and they were to wait for it. Weren’t they 
strangers, Mamma, just like my girl and her 
brother? ” 

“Y-es, they were strangers, but there was a 
difference. I — I saw at once that these chil¬ 
dren were — well, that they belonged to people 
that — that moved in the — best society.” 

“ What is 4 best society, ’ Mamma ? ” 

“ Oh, the people who come of the best fami 
lies, —who are refined and cultivated.” 

“And rich, Mamma?” 

“No, oh, no! they are not always rich.” 

“ But, Mamma, there’s Miss Morton, who 
teaches me. She is refined and cultivated. Is 
she in the best society?” 



8 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


“ Miss Morton is a very nice person, of course, 
but she is n’t exactly in society.” 

“ Does n’t she come of one of the best 
families ? ” 

“Well, she is from a very good family, I 
believe, —very respectable people.” 

“ Did we come of one of the best families ? ” 

Mrs. Patterson flushed. “ Your Grandfather 
Lester was an able lawyer, and your Grand¬ 
father Patterson was a successful merchant.” 

“Yes, I know about Grandpa Patterson. 
I ’ve heard Papa tell how he made his fortune, 
and climbed up from the place of errand-boy to 
the position of head of the firm.” 

There was a few minutes’ pause after this; 
then suddenly Theo began again: “Mamma, 
what was it you saw or what was it you did n’t 
see in my friends that was so different from 
those girls at the matin6e ? ” 

“I don’t know that I can explain it to you, 
my dear, but there was something. Those little 
girls at the matinee had an unmistakable air of 
high breeding and careful training, and — style. 
Your little girl and boy looked—well, as if 
they belonged to a different class of people; not 
as if they were cared /or, but as if they were 
used to caring for themselves.” 



A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


9 


Theo lifted her head with a quick movement. 
“Mamma, perhaps their father now is just as 
Grandpa Patterson was once, when he was 
young, — climbing up; and as Grandpa was, he 
has n’t got to the top, and can’t give his chil¬ 
dren much care. ” 

Mrs. Patterson flushed again. Theo did say 
such queer things. “If it was not Theo, I 
should think it was sly and impertinent,” the 
mother said once to her eldest daughter. But 
slyness and impertinence were out of the ques¬ 
tion where Theo was concerned. She was as 
open as the day, and innocent and inexperienced. 

Before the flush had passed from Mrs. Patter¬ 
son’s cheeks, the innocent tongue resumed the 
subject once more. 

“But, Mamma dear, I didn’t care for those 
girls as you did. I did n’t think they looked 
interesting, and I do think my girl and boy are 
interesting.” Another little pause, then: “Oh, 
dear! I don’t believe I like ‘best society,’ 
because it seems to me it leaves out almost all 
the interesting people! I suppose it left out 
Grandpa until he had climbed ’way up, and 
then he was all ready to go to heaven; and 
what would he care for ‘ best society ’ that 
was picked out by people here, when he could 



10 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


have the best that God had picked out in 
heaven? ” 

“Theo dear, look, it is beginning to snow,” 
exclaimed Mrs. Patterson, suddenly. “By to¬ 
morrow, it may be, we shall have a sleigh-ride.” 
She did not try to reply to her little daughter’s 
last remark. “ And what could I say ? ” she 
asked Eleanor, when, later, she repeated the 
conversation to her. Eleanor laughed, and de¬ 
clared that Theo was not to be managed by 
argument, for she always got the best of it 
there. 

“But what shall I say to her to-morrow, 
Eleanor, for she won’t give it up like this? 
She ’ll look for those interesting children of hers 
just the same to-morrow afternoon.” 

Eleanor laughed again. “Oh, leave it to 
me, Mamma. You have n’t the least invention. 
I ’ll manage.” And Eleanor, who had a great 
deal of invention, did manage, her mother 
thought, beautifully. For she kept Theo 
amused at matinees and cycloramas and sleigh- 
rides until the end of the week. But oh, how 
tired poor Theo was on Saturday night! — so 
tired that on Sunday morning she did n’t want 
to get up from her little white bed; so tired 
that she had to rest there not only on Sunday, 



A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


11 


but on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday, 
and the doctor who came to see her said that it 
might be many days before she would be rested 
enough to leave it. Poor Mrs. Patterson, — 
she did n’t admire Eleanor’s invention so much 
now; and Eleanor herself felt disturbed and 
worried at the result of her plans, though, as 
she assured her mother, she and ’Lisa, the 
maid, had been very careful of Theo. 

In these quiet days in bed Theo thought a 
great deal, and not the least of these thoughts 
was about her two street friends. Where were 
they? she wondered. Did they still walk by 
the window every pleasant day at three o’clock? 
and had they walked there and missed her all 
these days that she had been in bed ? She said 
nothing of this to her mother or Eleanor, and 
they fancied she had forgotten. If they could 
have looked into her mind they would have 
seen that she was far from forgetting these 
“ friends ” of hers, even at Christmas, when her 
room was adorned with flowers and evergreens, 
and all sorts of lovely gifts were brought to her. 

Her mother, who noticed this wistful expres¬ 
sion, said to her consolingly, “You are think¬ 
ing it is hard to lie in bed on Christmas Day, 
dearie, I know; but the doctor says that in a 



12 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


week more you will be up, and a week will 
bring the new year. Perhaps on New-Year’s 
Day you can hold a little reception.” 

“ Y-es,” answered Theo, rather doubtfully. 

“You don’t like it, do you, dear? Well, 
then, we won’t have it. I only wanted to give 
you pleasure.” 

“Yes, Mamma; but, you see, I don’t know 
many people — young people — girls and boys. 
They would be the children of your friends, 
and they would n’t care much for me, for 
I ’ve not seen many of them; and I — well, I 
should n’t care at all for them. If they knew 
me and liked me, and came, not just because 
they were invited, but because they wanted to 
see me, that would be nice.” 

Mrs. Patterson bent down and kissed the 
pale little face. “Is there anything, Theo, 
that you would like for New-Year’s Day ? ” she 
asked. 

For a moment Theo hesitated; then she said 
quietly, “No, Mamma.” 

In that moment of hesitation she had thought 
of her little friends, — if she could watch for 
tkem at the parlor window and invite them in. 
But then she recalled her mother’s words of a 
week ago. If consent were given now it would 



A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


13 


be because of her illness. There would be no 
real welcome for her guests, and that would rob 
the visit of its pleasure. At the hesitation, at 
the sound of the “No, Mamma,” Mrs. Patter¬ 
son turned again and asked, “Theo, are you 
sure there is nothing?” 

The “No, Mamma,” was more decided this 
time; but Mrs. Patterson wondered what it was 
that Theo would n’t say. 

CHAPTER II 

“I shall be back in a fortnight, Jessie.” 

“Yes, Papa.” 

“And you ’ll be very careful of yourself and 
Bertie while I’m gone? ” 

“Yes, Papa.” 

“ Well, good-by, my dear. Good-by, Bertie, 
my boy,” and Mr. Hamlin kissed first one and 
then the other of his children, lifting rosy, 
sturdy little Bertie for the last kiss, and a last 
injunction to take care of his sister. 

“Yes, I take care her. I kill all ’e bugglers 
that come,” answered Bertie, doubling up his 
small fat fists. 

“ What in the world does he mean ? ” asked 
the father. 




14 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


“ Bugglers — bugglers — bad bugglers that 
come in ’e night and ’teal! dat’s what I mean! ” 
cried Bertie, rather indignant at his father for 
not understanding him. 

“He means burglars,” laughed Jessie. 

“ Where did he hear anything of that kind?” 
asked Mr. Hamlin, frowning. 

“I suppose he heard Ann talking about the 
robbery at Mr. Norton’s last week,” answered 
Jessie. 

“ ’Es, ’es, robbers — bugglers — ’tole evwy- 
t’ing, and Tightened ’ittle Tommy ’mos’ to 
def. Bertie won’t be Tightened at bugglers 
nor anysing. Bertie take his new gun and kill 
’em!” and with this savage threat the boy 
laughed so gleefully that the father joined in 
the laugh, thinking that not much harm had 
come of Irish Ann’s talk, after all, if his small 
son had caught such joyful, if sanguinary, 
inspiration from it; and so it was in a gayer 
mood altogether that he kissed him again, and 
said, — 

“No; Bertie won’t be frightened at any¬ 
thing, whatever happens, for Bertie is Papa’s 
big brave boy.” 

The Hamlins lived in a little flat at the top 
of a high apartment-house. The family con- 




A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


15 


sisted of Mr. Hamlin, Jessie, Bertie, and Ann 
McMullen, the maid-of-all-work. When Mrs. 
Hamlin died, two years ago, Bertie was a year 
old. And until within a few months there had 
been a nurse-maid for him; but when one day 
the maid was taken sick, and had to go away, 
they found that they could do very well with¬ 
out her, for Jessie was a bright, energetic girl, 
with a good deal of careful womanliness, and 
Ann, who had been with the family since 
Jessie’s birth, and much attached to them all, 
was quite willing to look out for the boy when 
Jessie was away. This arrangement saved Mr. 
Hamlin not a little, which was a great con¬ 
sideration, for he was only a clerk, and his 
salary by no means large. Thirteen-year-old 
Jessie had been her father’s companion so much 
that he talked very freely with her; and she 
understood perfectly the necessity for economy, 
and had in consequence become quite a clever 
little manager in many ways. But notwith¬ 
standing this rather premature shouldering of 
cares, the girl was a real girl, bright and joy¬ 
ous and full of the spirits of health and youth. 
Perhaps it was for these very reasons of youth 
and health, united with the womanliness de¬ 
veloped by circumstances, that she got on so 




16 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


nicely with her little brother; for while the 
womanly side of her kept her from spoiling 
him, her fund of spirits brought them together 
in the happiest sort of way. 

“We are two chums, aren’t we?” she said, 
laughingly, to the little fellow one day. 

The term seemed to please the boy mightily, 
and from that time he would every now and 
then say to people, or to his sister herself, 
“Dessie and Bertie two chums.” 

That night after his father had gone, and his 
sister was sitting by his crib singing his favorite 
song, — 

“ Three blind mice, 

See how they run ! ” — 

the little voice suddenly piped out, with sly 
drollery, — 

“ Two bwave chums, 

See how they wun ! ” 

Jessie pounced down upon the roguish young¬ 
ster with a kiss and a laugh, followed by the 
words, — 

“ Two brave chums, 

See how they sleep ! 

you’d better say, sir;” and then ensued a 
frolic, which ended in a gradual closing of the 



A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


17 


sleepy eyes, and a gradual subsiding of the 
little voice. 

They had had an early tea that night on 
account of Mr. Hamlin’s departure, and by six 
o’clock Ann McMullen had cleared everything 
away, and betaken herself to the other end of 
the city to see a sick cousin. 

“I’ll be back by nine o’clock sure, Miss 
Jessie, and perhaps before,” she said to the 
young housekeeper; and Jessie had assured her 
that that was quite time enough, for she had 
her French lesson to study, and should n’t 
think of going to bed until half-past nine. 
The French lesson was a very interesting story 
of the French Revolution. It was so interest¬ 
ing that Jessie presently forgets everything 
else. She forgets so entirely that she is only 
roused by the tears in her eyes, and the tears 
have got into her throat, that smarts and stings. 
Oh, how it smarts and stings! and what — what 
is this,—this strange atmosphere? With a 
sudden cry the girl leaps to her feet and flings 
down her book. Then for a second she stands 
petrified with a terrible fear. In the next in¬ 
stant she runs with flying steps to the door 
that leads into the common hall, and throws it 
open to see, to know that the strange atmos- 



18 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


phere is a curling cloud of smoke; that the 
house is on fire! With a life-saving instinct she 
shuts the door, and running to the little crib in 
the bedroom, seizes the sleeper in her arms. 

“Bertie, Bertie, wake up! wake up! ” 

Bertie opens his eyes, only to close them 
again with the weight of baby slumber. 

“ Oh, Bertie, Bertie, wake up! — wake up, 
and come with sister! ” 

At the sharp agonized tone and the unaccus¬ 
tomed rough handling, for Jessie is shaking the 
child wildly, he lifts his head and again opens 
his eyes. 

“Come! come! get up, Bertie! We must 
run fast for our lives.” 

“ Two bwave chums, 

See — how — they wun,” 

the boy murmurs. But Jessie’s next call to 
him is in a breaking sob, and Bertie, now 
more thoroughly awake, starts up with, “Is it 
the bugglers? Don’t ky; I take care oo. I 
kill ’em wiz my gun. Quick! quick! Dessie, 
get my gun! ” 

“No, no; it’s not burglars. The house is on 
fire; and Bertie must be brave, and come with 
me on to the roof. Papa has told me often if 



A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


19 


there was a fire to go to the roof. Here! quick! 
put your feet into these overshoes, and here is 
your fur coat. No! no! there’s no time for 
anything else. Now give me your hand, and — 
and don’t be frightened at the smoke. We ’ll 
soon be out of it, — on the roof, you know.” 

The next moment, as the blinding column of 
smoke meets them, he gives a sharp cry; but as 
he feels his sister’s arms about him, a sense of 
security takes possession of him, even though 
he is half strangling and suffocating in his 
efforts to breathe. Up, up the steep stairs the 
girl presses with her burden. Once or twice 
she stumbles and nearly falls, but she gains her 
feet again. Every step is a flight and a fight 
for life, and every step is winged with fear, for 
behind her the pursuing smoke gathers power. 
and volume, and from below an ominous, hiss¬ 
ing, crackling sound makes itself heard with 
terrible distinctness. The stairs are not many, 
but they are irregular and winding; for the 
house is an old-fashioned residence remodelled 
into an apartment-house. The passage is also 
narrow and partly shut in, and it is not until 
almost at the very top that the free breath of 
heaven is felt. Thus blindly groping her way 
along the winding turns, it seemed to poor Jessie 



20 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


that she should never reach the end/ The 
swift-flying moments were like lagging hours; 
and the last few steps, blindly taken, brought 
a despairing cry to her lips. And then it was 
that another step, another turn, and suddenly 
full in her face she felt the night wind blow, 
and her heart leaped up with one great throb of 
relief. They were safe, for one more step and 
they were on the roof. The fresh air aroused 
Bertie, and brought back something of his con¬ 
fidence, so that he was quite willing to be set 
upon his feet, and take his sister’s hand. As 
he did so he glanced up at the broad expanse of 
sky, which at the height he stood appeared to 
him very near, and he said to his sister, in a 
cheerful little voice, — 

“Dessie, are we doin’ up to heaven?” 

Jessie did not answer, for just then a burst 
of smoke at the stairway opening they had left, 
warned her to hasten from a double danger; for 
she had heard and read enough of fires to know 
that the fireman’s hose might presently not 
only drench but beat them down. 

Easy enough in that first moment of relief 
as her future progress seemed, it was not long 
before the height and solitariness, the strange¬ 
ness of the whole situation, began to oppress 




A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


21 


her with doubt and question. Why did she 
not meet others who had fled to the house-top 
as she had for safety? Almost as she asked 
herself this question there flashed into her mind 
two facts that she had forgotten. Their neigh¬ 
bors who occupied the rest of the upper floor 
were absent, and the floor below had an escape 
directly communicating from the hall-way to 
the lower roof of another block extending in 
the opposite direction, — westward, instead of 
eastward. These were, indeed, appalling facts 
to a girl of thirteen, wise and womanly as she 
was in many things, and accustomed to facing 
difficulties. What should she do? She could 
not turn back, that was certain; and if she kept 
on, what then? In the other direction num¬ 
bers of persons no doubt were in force together. 
They would make themselves heard. They 
were very likely from the first observed and 
even assisted by the firemen, for she recollected 
now that the escape was said to be broad and 
easy from that lower floor. But who would 
assist her ? How should she make herself 
heard ? All the time that these questions were 
agitating her mind, she was slowly and care¬ 
fully going forward, leading Bertie by the 
hand. The little fellow had accepted the situa- 



22 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


tion at first with the healthy composure that 
was luckily a part of his character. He had 
too, at the first, been rather pleased, though a 
little awed, at the novelty of walking on the 
house-tops, — “so near heaven,” as he put it. 
But mild as the night was, it was a winter 
night, and he presently began to feel the frosty 
air, for his sister had had only time to slip his 
feet into a pair of wool-lined overshoes, and to 
put over his little trouser night-gown the new 
white fur coat that had been one of his Christ¬ 
mas presents. But he had none of his usual 
warm under-clothing, no stout leggings or 
stockings, and his head was quite uncovered. 

“Bertie ’s cold,” he said at last. 

“Yes, sister knows,* but Bertie must be 
brave. Two brave chums, you know,” the 
poor girl cried, as cheerfully as she could. 

The boy didn’t take up the refrain. His 
little cold fingers closed more tightly about his 
sister’s, and presently he asked, in a tearful 
voice, “Why don’t we get dare?” 

“Get where?” inquired Jessie, trying to 
speak lightly. 

“ To heaven. Can’t oo find er stairs ? ” 

Jessie shuddered. Oh, what if— A sob 
rose in her throat at the thought that was sug- 



A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


23 


gested to her. What, what should she do? 
Could her voice he heard if she cried out at 
such a height? She stopped and looked back¬ 
ward. She could see a thin stream of water 
forcing down a little cloud of smoke, but no 
sight, as she had hoped, of a human being, — 
no fireman or workman of any kind. It did 
not occur to her that the wind was blowing 
from the east, driving the smoke westward, and 
that every one’s energies were employed in that 
direction. What could she do? At this crisis 
Bertie’s voice arose in a pitiful wail, and stoop¬ 
ing, she lifted him in her arms. As his soft, 
cold cheek touched her own, the sob in her 
throat broke its bonds. The child looked up in 
amazement. What! his Dessie crjdng! This 
was an unexampled thing, and for a moment 
he did not know how to take it. Then the 
noble little soul forgot his own discomfort, his 
own terrors, in his love and pity, and straighten¬ 
ing up, he put his arms about his Dessie’s neck, 
and said to her, — 

“Don’t ky; Bertie take care Dessie.” A 
resounding kiss sealed this promise. Under 
the influence of words and kiss Jessie’s heart 
entirely overflowed, and the tears she had re¬ 
strained burst forth. At sight of these tears 



24 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


Bertie struggled down upon his feet, and caught 
her hand, crying, “ Come, come with Bertie! ” 
And half mechanically she again went forward, 
almost led by the small, tight-clinging hand. 
It was only a few moments after that she was 
startled by a sudden, shrill cry from the boy, 
“ Hark! Hark! dey’s a-singin’! Bertie’s foun’ 
er stairs! ” 

Yes; the child was right. There was cer¬ 
tainly a sound of singing somewhere not far 
away. Where? What could it be? Follow¬ 
ing the sound, a few steps led them around a 
tall chimney, and there Jessie saw before her 
a glimmering of light. A step or two farther 
showed her whence it came, and from whence, 
also, came the sound of singing. The skylight 
window of a roof had been flung back, and from 
the hall-way just below, the bright radiance 
from a gas jet streamed up and out, and from 
some lower floor floated up to them the gay 
little holiday carol: — 

“ Run, run, run, 

Before the sun 

Can catch us here, 

Can snatch us here, 

And meet the year, — 

The young new year. 

Run, run, run, 

Before the sun. ,, 



A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


25 


The two children had flung themselves down 
at once by the open skylight; and Bertie, peep¬ 
ing over, laughed aloud as he listened. Then 
catching the words, — 

“ Run, run, run,” 

at the end, he laughed again, and suddenly sang 
out, lustily, — 

“ Two bwave chums, 

See how they wun! ” 

A house-maid coming up the stairs into the 
hall just below, stopped, startled at this unex¬ 
pected sound. Where in the world could it 
be ? Bertie saw the startled look with delight, 
and straightway sang the couplet again. The 
girl lifted her head, and caught sight of the 
childish face framed by the short rings of 
golden hair, which the gas-light illuminated 
into something seraphic. For a moment she 
held her breath in awe-struck amazement; then 
she exclaimed, “ It’s a little angel, sure! ” 

“No, ’t ain’t; it’s Bertie,” the boy cried, im¬ 
patient now to be taken down into the warmth 
and shelter of a home, — “it’s Bertie and 
Dessie too. We ’ve wunned away from the 
fire. Turn, turn up and help us down; we ’re 
f’eezin’.” 



26 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


Jessie, now leaning forward, joined in the 
explanation, and made the matter clearer to the 
girl, whose astonishment broke out in loud ex¬ 
clamations. “What is it? What’s the matter, 
Jane? ” a voice inquired. 

“Matter! Look here, sir! Did you ever 
know the like of this? ” and Jane turned to the 
master of the house, who overheard her won¬ 
dering cries. 

The master of the house was almost as much 
astonished when he saw the children’s faces, 
and heard the explanation of their presence, as 
the maid had been; but his astonishment did 
not interfere with his action as it did with hers, 
for immediately upon comprehending the case, 
he sprang up the steps, and lifted Bertie in his 
arms, at the same time telling Jane to bring 
the little girl along. Into a luxurious room, 
full of warmth and soft shaded light, the chil¬ 
dren were taken, greatly to the surprise of the 
occupants, — a group of four or five persons 
who were at the moment engaged in animated 
conversation. But the conversation ceased at 
the sight of the new-comers. Bertie, in his 
white coat, with its fringes of snowy Astra- 
chan, was a charming object. His eyes were 
now shining like stars, his cheeks flushed, and 






a 


OH, MAMMA ! OH, ELEANOR ! THEY ARE MY FRIENDS ! ” 




































































































































































































A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


27 


the ruffled yellow curls made a sort of golden 
halo around his face. 

“ And you came alone all this way, —you 
two on the tops of the houses ? Oh, it makes 
me dizzy! ” cried a tall young lady who had 
taken Jessie’s cold hand, and was drawing her 
to the open grate fire. With this movement, 
Jessie was brought forward into the light; and 
as she lifted her head a little soft shout arose 
from a shaded corner, and then out of the cor¬ 
ner, limping on a small crutch, came hurrying 
a slender sprite of a girl, crying, — 

“Oh, Mamma! oh, Eleanor! they are my 
friends! — my friends that I used to watch at 
the window for! Don’t you see? I didn’t 
know the little boy at first in his white coat. 
But they are my friends — my friends — and 
oh, my New-Year’s callers!” 

“What does she mean?” asked Mr. Patter¬ 
son, in a low voice, of his wife; and Mrs. 
Patterson explained. 

“But isn’t it wonderful,” cried Theodora, as 
she clung to Jessie, “that you should come 
down to me like this instead of in at the door, 
and on New-Year’s night, too? It’s like a gift 
from Heaven.” 

Neither Mrs. Patterson nor Eleanor thought 




28 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


of restraining Theodora’s enthusiasm' at this 
moment. They were touched and moved out 
of all petty considerations for that moment, and 
moved also with not a little admiration, as 
Jessie simply and modestly told the story of her 
escape. In this story her hearers learned some¬ 
thing of the life of the family, — the limited 
means, the father’s love and care, and his 
young daughter’s efficiency. But Mr. Patter¬ 
son discovered something more than these facts, 
as he questioned the daughter about her father, 
— his name and occupation, etc., —with a view 
to communicating with him as soon as possible, 
and thus saving him from unnecessary anxiety 
in regard to his children’s welfare. What this 
“something more ” was did not, however, tran¬ 
spire until later, for Mr. Patterson was a man 
of few words; but his wife, who noted the look 
of deeper interest that suddenly came into her 
husband’s face as Jessie answered one of his 
questions, said to herself, “ I think very likely 
this Henry Hamlin was once a clerk of Patter¬ 
son & Co.” She was almost certain of this 
presently, and was quite assured of it when he 
bade the children good-night, and bending to 
kiss the slumbering Bertie, said, “Well, we 
must take good care of these little Hamlins.” 



A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


29 


And very good care indeed was taken of 
them. Mr. Patterson was full of kindness and 
consideration. He got from Gregerson & Co. 

— the firm that employed Mr. Hamlin — all the 
points at which he would be likely to stop on 
his Western trip, and telegraphed to every 
point of the safety of the children. And so 
the days went by, — happy days for Theodora, 
and happy days for Jessie and Bertie, though 
a little thread of anxiety ran through Jessie’s 
enjoyment, until Papa was heard from. After 
that her heart was easier; and when Papa him¬ 
self followed his messages, her joy was com¬ 
plete. “ Though everything is burned up, Papa 

— everything but Bertie and me,” she said 
pathetically. 

But Bertie and me ’ ? ” repeated Mr. Ham¬ 
lin, betwixt smiles and tears, as he thought 
how “ Bertie and me ” made the whole world a 
treasure-house to him. 

“And Bertie took care Dessie. Dessie ky, 
and Bertie foun’ er stairs for her,” exclaimed 
the boy, in a triumphant tone. And then over 
again Jessie had to tell the story of that won¬ 
derful walk across the roofs. 

It was that night after Mr. Hamlin’s return 
that Eleanor, finding her father alone, said to 



30 


A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


him, “ Mr. Hamlin is quite a gentlemanly per¬ 
son, is n’t he, Papa? ” 

“Oh, quite so,” answered Mr. Patterson, 
absently, turning his newspaper to the light. 

“And Jessie seems a nice girl, —well taught 
and quite well brought up.” 

“ Yes.” 

“Papa, I want you to listen to me a few 
moments.” 

Mr. Patterson laid down his newspaper with 
some surprise. “Yes, my dear; what is it?” 

“ Mamma and I have a little plan. Theodora 
has taken a great fancy to Jessie, and the girl 
is very good to her, and we — Mamma and I — 
have wondered whether it wouldn’t be a good 
thing all round to engage Jessie, if we could, 
for a sort of young companion for Theodora, to 
read to her and help her with her studies. We 
thought it would be an assistance to Mr. Ham¬ 
lin too, for Mamma says his losses must come 
rather hard upon him. Then another thing, 
Papa; it would perhaps save embarrassment in 
the future by putting matters at once into their 
proper relations.” 

“ Proper relations ? What do you mean ? ” 

“Well, you know what Theodora is,—her 
enthusiasms. She is ready to make friends 



A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


31 


with anybody she fancies. She has no idea 
whatever of the world and its social relations, 
and by and by, when she grows up and gets 
stronger, she will take such a different place in 
society from this young girl, that — that — ” 
The tall, beautiful Eleanor stopped, stammer¬ 
ing at something she saw in her father’s ex¬ 
pression. When this expression merged into a 
sarcastic laugh, a bright red blush mounted to 
the young lady’s face. “But, Papa,” she began 
again, deprecatingly. 

“But, my dear,” he interrupted, “Theodora’s 
unworldly instincts, her — you must excuse me 
— finer tastes, have served her better than your 
worldly ones. You said that Mr.- Hamlin was 
quite a gentlemanly person; he ought to be, if 
a fine education and early advantages mean 
anything, for Henry Hamlin is the grandson of 
Anthony Hamlin, who started and made the 
great firm of Gregerson & Co. It used to be 
Hamlin & Gregerson. When Anthony Hamlin 
died he left a million or more to his only son. 
This son, the father of Henry, sold out his 
interest in the firm, and went abroad to live. 
When he died, it was found that extravagance 
and bad management had reduced the big for¬ 
tune to a pittance; and thus thrown on their 



32 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


own resources, his sons had to go to work, — 
to begin at the bottom of the ladder, as their 
grandfather had done; but I ’m afraid without 
his shrewdness.” 

A flash of memory, and there came into 
Eleanor’s mind Theodora’s words that her 
mother had repeated to her, “Perhaps, their 
father now is just as Grandpa Patterson was 
once, —he has n’t got to the top, and can’t give 
his children much care.” 

The color deepened in Eleanor’s cheeks at 
her father’s next words, “You say that Theo¬ 
dora has no idea of the world and its social 
relations. I am very glad that she hasn’t your 
idea. It is a poor idea anywhere; but it’s a 
very silly idea in this country, where such class 
distinctions are at variance with the very struc¬ 
ture of the government, instead of being upheld 
by it, as in the older countries. Why, my 
child, America is a country that is built up in 
every particular, socially as well as in other 
ways, by work, — the successful work of brains 
and business enterprise, and to ignore this is 
simpty ridiculous; and for you, whose father 
happens to be prosperous to-day on the founda¬ 
tion that his father laid from a very small begin¬ 
ning, to set yourself — ” 



A NEW-YEAR’S CALL 


33 


“But, Papa, Papa, I see now that I ’ye made 
a great mistake; what you ’ye told me alters 
the case. If I had known, of course, that Mr. 
Hamlin — ” 

“ If you had known that Mr. Hamlin was the 
grandson of Anthony Hamlin! Oh, Eleanor, I 
want you to cultivate something of that spirit 
that Theodora has, which you call unworldli¬ 
ness, and I call perception, that will enable you 
to see for yourself what people are, in spite of 
mere external circumstances. It seems, —well, 
it seems to me, my dear, vulgar in you not to 
be able to do so.” 

The tears were in Eleanor’s eyes and in her 
throat, and her cheeks were burning red by this 
time. She began to speak, “Papa, I didn’t 
mean — ” and then her voice broke, and the 
next moment she was kneeling beside her 
father’s chair, and his arm was around her, and 
her head upon his shoulder. 

“I know, my dear, you didn’t mean to be, 
for you did n’t think . you could be, vulgarly 
worldly. But, Eleanor, it is your great fault, 
and — I must say it — it keeps you from being 
quite a lady.” 

“Oh, Papa! ” 

“Yes, my dear; but don’t cry over it. Do 
L of C. 3 



34 


A NEW-YEAR'S CALL 


something better. Try to see things differently. 
Start with the New Year, and with Theodora’s 
New-Year’s callers- for hint and suggestion. 
To think ” — and Mr. Patterson’s voice took 
on a lighter tone — “ that a bright girl like you 
could have made such a mistake, — could have 
thought for a moment that these Hamlins were 
of an inferior position because they lived out 
of your world, and that you could engage 
Henry Hamlin’s young daughter at so much 
per week to coach Theodora in her studies. 
Oh, Eleanor!” 











THE CHILDREN’S 
FRIEND SERIES 


T T ANDY Illustrated Volumes by popular au- 
* -*■ thors, including Louisa M. Alcott, Susan 
Coolidge, Nora Perry, Helen Hunt Jackson, Louise 
Chandler Moulton, Juliana H. Ewing, Laura E. 
Richards, A. G. Plympton, Edward Everett Hale, 
etc. Choicely printed and attractively bound in 
cloth, with gold and ink stamp on side. Issued at 
the popular price of 50 cents per volume. 



By LOUISA M. ALCOTT 

A HOLE IN THE WALL 
MARJORIE’S THREE GIFTS 
MAY FLOWERS 
POPPIES AND WHEAT 
CANDY COUNTRY 
A CHRISTMAS DREAM 
LITTLE BUTTON ROSE 
PANSIES AND WATER-LILIES 
THE DOLL’S JOURNEY 
THE LITTLE WOMEN PLAY 
THE LITTLE MEN PLAY 
MOUNTAIN LAUREL & MAIDEN HAIR 


By SUSAN COOLIDGE 

A LITTLE KNIGHT OF LABOR 
CURLY LOCKS 
TWO GIRLS 

LITTLE TOMMY TUCKER 

LITTLE BO-PEEP AND QUEEN BLOSSOM 

UNCLE AND AUNT 

By BYRD SPILMAN DEWEY 

BRUNO. THE STORY OF A DOG 

By EDWARD EVERETT HALE 

THE MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY 



























THE CHILDREN’S FRIEND SERIES 


By JULIANA H. EWING 

By NOEA PEEEY 

DADDY DARWIN’S DOVECOT 

JACKANAPES 

STORY OF A SHORT LIFE 

MARY’S MEADOW 

LAND OF LOST TOYS 

GREAT EMERGENCY 

COTTAGE NEIGHBORS 

THAT LITTLE SMITH GIRL 

MAY BARTLETT’S STEPMOTHER 

JU-JU’S CHRISTMAS PARTY 

A NEW YEAR’S CALL 

BENJY IN beastland 

A VERY ILL-TEMPERED FAMILY 
SNAP-DRAGON 

By ELIZABETH S. PHELPS and 
HEEBEET D. WAED 

By BEADLEY GILMAN 

THE KDJGDOM OF COINS 

A LOST HERO 

By AUTHOE OF “MISS 

By A. G. PLYMPT0N 

TOOSEY” 

LITTLE OLIVE THE HEIRESS 

MISS TOOSEY’S MISSION, LADDIE 

RAGS AND VELVET GOWNS 

TWO DOGS AND A DONKEY 

By MAEY CAEOLINE HYDE 

A BRAVE COWARD 

GOOSTIE 

UNDER THE STABLE FLOOR 

CHRISTMAS AT TAPPAN SEA 
HOLLY-BERRY AND MISTLETOE 

By PERRAULT and D’AULNOY 

FAIRY FAVORITES 

ONCE UPON A TIME 

By JEAN INGELOW 

THE GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY 

By LAUEA E. EICHAEDS 

By HELEN HUNT JACKSON 

HUNTER CATS OF CONNORLOA 

CHOP-CHIN AND THE GOLDEN DRAGON 
GOLDEN-BREASTED KOOTOO 

SUNDOWN SONGS 

By EDWAED LEAE 

NONSENSE SONGS 

By MAEY W. TILESTON 

By LOUISE CHANDLEE MOUL¬ 
TON 

CHILDREN’S HOUR 

BOOK OF HEROIC BALLADS 

AGAINST WIND AND TIDE 

FOUR OF THEM 

By SIE WALTEE SCOTT 

JESSIE’S NEIGHBORS 

IVANHOE AND ROB ROY RETOLD FOR 

HER BABY BROTHER 

CHILDREN 

IN BOXED SETS BY AUTHOES 

THE LOUISA M. ALCOTT LIBRARY FOR 

THE NORA PERRY LIBRARY FOR LITTLE 

LITTLE PEOPLE. 10 vols. $5.00 

PEOPLE. 5 vols. $2.50 

THE SUSAN COOLIDGE LIBRARY FOR 
LITTLE PEOPLE. 6 vols. $3.00 

THE LAURA E. RICHARDS LIBRARY 
FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 3 vols. $1.50 

THE JULIANA H. EWING LIBRARY FOR 
LITTLE PEOPLE. 9 vols. $4.50 

THE A. G. PLYMPTON LIBRARY FOR 
LITTLE PEOPLE. 4 vols. $2.00 

THE LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON LI- 


BRARY FOR LITTLE PEOPLE. 4 vols. 

MARY CAROLINE HYDE’S CHRISTMAS 

$2.00 

LIBRARY. 3 vols. $1.50 


Little, Brown, & Co., Publishers, 254 Washington St., Boston 


























* 













































» 




















































































LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



D0DED7133fc.7 



















































































































































































































































































